Lit Crit-Pose for Post-Colonialism

8/9/2019 Lit Crit-Pose for Post-Colonialism

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Post-Colonialism

Literary criticism is the study, discussion, evaluation, and

interpretation of literature. Modern literary criticism is

often informed by literary theory, which is the

philosophical discussion of its methods and goals.Though the two activities are closely related, literary

critics are not always, and have not always been,

theorists.


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Taken literally, the term "postcolonial

literature" would seem to label literature

written by people living in countriesformerly colonized by other nations.


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In its use as a critical approach,

postcolonialism refers to "a collection of

theoretical and critical strategies used toexamine the culture (literature, politics,

history, and so forth) of former colonies of

the European empires, and their relation to

the rest of the world" (Makaryk 155)


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Key Terms:

Alterity - "lack of identification with some part of one's personality or

one's community, differentness, otherness"

Diaspora is used to refer to any people or ethnic population forced

or induced to leave their traditional ethnic homelands, being

dispersed throughout other parts of the world, and the ensuing

developments in their dispersal and culture" (Wikipedia).

Eurocentrism - "the practice, conscious or otherwise, of placing

emphasis on European (and, generally, Western) concerns, culture

and values at the expense of those of other cultures. It is an

instance of ethnocentrism, perhaps especially relevant because of

its alignment with current and past real power structures in the

world" (Dictionary.LaborLawTalk.com)


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Hybridity - "an important concept in post-colonial theory,

referring to the integration (or, mingling) of cultural signs

and practices from the colonizing and the colonizedcultures.

The assimilation and adaptation of cultural practices, the

cross-fertilization of cultures, can be seen as positive,

enriching, and dynamic, as well as as oppressive" (fromDr. John Lye - General Literary Theory Websites).


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Imperialism - "the policy of extending the control or

authority over foreign entities as a means of acquisition

and/or maintenance of empires, either through direct

territorial control or through indirect methods of exertingcontrol on the politics and/or economy of other countries.

The term is used by some to describe the policy of a

country in maintaining colonies and dominance over

distant lands, regardless of whether the country calls

itself an empire" (Dictionary.LaborLawTalk.com).


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Many of the debates among postcolonial

scholars center on which national

literatures or authors can be justifiably

included in the postcolonial canon. Much

of the discussion among postcolonial

scholars involves criticisms of the term"postcolonial" itself. In addition, it is

seldom mentioned but quite striking that

very few actual authors of the literature

under discussion embrace and use the

term to label their own writing.


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First, literal colonization is not the

exclusive object of postcolonial study.

Lenin's classic analysis of imperialism led

to Antonio Gramsci's concept of

"hegemony" which distinguishes between

literal political dominance and dominance

through ideas and culture


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Second, among the works commonly

studied under this label are novels like

Claude McKay's Banjo and Chinua

Achebe's Things Fall Apartwhich were

written while the nations in question

(Jamaica and Nigeria) were still colonies.


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Some scholars attempt to solve this

problem by arguing that the term should

denote works written after colonization, not

only those created after independence; but

that would be "postcolonization" literature.


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Third, some critics argue that the term

misleadingly implies that colonialism is

over when in fact most of the nations

involved are still culturally and

economically subordinated to the rich

industrial states through various forms of

neo-colonialism even though they aretechnically independent.


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Whats post-colonialism?

Post-colonialism is an intellectual direction

(sometimes also called an era or the post-

colonial theory) that exists since around the

middle of the 20th century. It developed from

and mainly refers to the time after

colonialism, but it can take the colonial time

as well as the time after colonialism intoconsideration.


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Note

Though post-colonialism is directed for 20th centuryand Western colonialisation on the East, its notalways too shallow like this. As long as you findthe three aspects of post-colonialism from aliterary work(s) you read, its fine to apply it.


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Aspects of Post-Colonialism

1) Decolonisation

a process of change, destruction and, in the first place, an

attempt to regain and lose power

2) Conflicts of identity and cultural belonging

3) Former colonial powers had to change theirself-assessment


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Good Resource for Post-Colonialism

Die Rote Armee Fraktion (RAF)s Post-Colonialism:Definition, Development and Examples fromIndia

Documents

Lit Crit-Pose for Post-Colonialism